Mazda Revives Rotary Engine with Production of MX-30 PHEV

Mazda Motor Corporation has recommenced mass production of rotary engines 11 years after the RX-8 sports car, its last rotary-engine car was discontinued. The rotary engine makes its return to a mass-produced vehicle with the new MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV plug-in hybrid SUV. The SUV has gone into production at the company’s Ujina Plant in Hiroshima City, Japan.

The MX-30 is not a new SUV with the model having been around globally since 2020. The plug-in hybrid however made its public debut earlier this year. Mazda says the MX-30 R-EV can travel up to 85 km in all-electric mode with the rotary engine used to recharge the battery and supply power to the electric motor. The plug-in hybrid combines a 17.8 kWh battery and a 50-litre fuel tank to give the SUV a cumulative range of over 600 km. The 122kw electric motor produces up to 260 Nm of torque.

The SkyActiv R-EV is the third derivative of the MX-30 to go on sale in global markets. The SUV initially debuted as an all-electric model in 2020 before being joined by a mild-hybrid variant.

Mazda has also introduced a solar power system at its Hiroshima Plant, which became operational in July 2021. With an output of 1.1 MW, this system charges MX-30 EV models during production, powers the newly mass-produced e-SKYACTIV R-EV for shipment, and supplies electricity for the entire plant. Mazda is working towards achieving carbon neutrality throughout its supply chain by 2050. 

Written by: - RONIT AGARWAL